15 February, 2010

Boiled Egg Curry (North Indian Style)

How do I introduce Boiled Egg Curry to you? I could write about my so far culinary experiences with boiled eggs, or, as this curry is a hot dish, I could write about heat (of any form). Perhaps I do both. Let's see.....
I am running a Half Marathon on Friday. That's 21k or 13 miles. My family (we are mama, papa, and two kids) and two friends who will be over for a visit from Europe will stay in a 5-star resort nearby the night before as the race starts at 7am. What does that tell you? Pressure to perform! Therefore I had to squeeze in another long run. Didn't make it on the weekend, so today was my last chance. Now the sad news: winter seems to be over in Dubai. I only have a chance to run during lunchtime during the week. And today, there was absolutely no chance I could do this outdoors, with temperatures around 27C. So I did 18k on the treadmill in the gym. I am so proud I made it, as I was bored to death after 3k. Really, I just wanted to go home. Somehow I managed the 18k and that gives me confidence to possibly achieve a new personal best at around 1h50min. My current one is 1h54min. Will let you know about the results.
Back to the food. I only know three or four dishes with boiled eggs: that's the one you have for breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning, or slices of boiled eggs in a salad. Or, and I haven't eaten that since I stopped eating in the school canteen, boiled eggs with mustard sauce and potatoes.
Now comes the Indian version. I must admit I was a little skeptical when I first encountered the combination of curry and boiled eggs. But I am telling you: It's a brilliant match. You want the curry sauce be hot, and that complements the mild egg, especially the egg white perfectly. I found this a nice change to any meat or vegetable curry. It goes well with rice or any flat bread.
Another good thing is that it is prepared in no time. The sauce and even the boiled eggs can be prepared in advance and it's made of ingredients that you might have at home. A perfect weekday dinner, and good to have in winter or coldish days as the spiciness of the dish will definitely warm you up. ------------------------------------------------------------------

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Boil 4 eggs in boiling water for about 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and fry until golden. Take off the heat. Transfer the fried onions from the pan to a food processor. Grind the onions, tomatoes, green chillies into a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the onion paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic and all the dry spices. Fry until the oil begins to separate from the onion tomato mixture.
Add 2 cups of water bring to a boil on a medium flame.
Cut the boiled eggs into halves lengthside and add them to the gravy. Simmer for 10 minutes or till the gravy is thickened/ reduced to about 3/4 of the original quantity after you added the water
Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or flatbread.

Love! My husband and I love all of your curries, Anja. They are something we never would have thought to try cooking before your blog, but your recipes make once-foreign ingredients and dishes seem inviting and manageable. Our spice cabinet has doubled in size thanks to you (this is a wonderful thing!) Added peas like the previous commenter suggested. Filling and spicy. Almost too hot for the mild winter we are having in Oregon.